


A Later Date (the elf-kissing days aren't over)

by wheredwellthe_brave_atheart



Series: Out of This Dull World [2]
Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 05:26:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3369476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheredwellthe_brave_atheart/pseuds/wheredwellthe_brave_atheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week after his admittance to Argon's clinic, and Artemis fervently hoped that the very worst of his Atlantis Complex was behind him. The past seven days had been truly horrendous, as his condition battled against the shock therapy and cocktail of fairy drugs coursing through his battered system. He hadn't been in any sort of position to carry on a conversation yet, but he knew that Holly's presence in his room meant she had something to get off her chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Later Date (the elf-kissing days aren't over)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Artemis Fowl world, created by Eoin Colfer. I do not claim ownership over the word or any characters used. I am not profiting in any way from this work, it is my own invention and for entertainment only, and it is not purported to be a part of Eoin Colfer’s official storyline.

Artemis woke abruptly when Holly activated the automatic door in his private room at Argon's clinic. 

"Sorry," she said, taking her usual seat in the chair next to his hover-bed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Artemis rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, wincing a little from the ache brought on by his various injuries. "It's fine," he assured her; then paused, a bit perturbed by the shake in his voice. "Truly," he said, clearing his throat, "I'm glad for the company." 

"How's the psychosis coming along, then?" Holly asked cheekily. 

A week after his admittance to Argon's clinic, and Artemis fervently hoped that the very worst of his Atlantis Complex was behind him. The past seven days had been truly horrendous, as his condition battled against the shock therapy and cocktail of fairy drugs coursing through his battered system. He hadn't been in any sort of position to carry on a conversation yet, but he knew that Holly's presence in his room meant she had something to get off her chest. 

Artemis coughed, hoping to prompt the elf into speech. "Er, I assume there is a reason for your visit, Holly? Or did Butler merely send you to keep an eye on me while he visits Argon's cafe?"

Holly smirked. "Well, can't it be a bit of both, Fowl?" she said, crossing one leg over the other and settling back into her chair. "I feel bad for the big man, he looks like a grizzly bear in a dollhouse down there," she laughed, and Artemis chuckled, feeling a stab of remorse over his bodyguard's current habitation problems. 

"Although," Holly added, glancing at how Artemis's feet dangled off the edge of his fairy-sized bed, "you kinda stick out down here now, too, Mud Boy."

Artemis groaned at the terrible pun. "Really, Holly, I am not so recovered that I can stand to have Diggums-esque humor thrown about in my presence."

Holly smirked. "If the pressure suit fits, Arty. It's time to face the facts, my friend."

"Oh, yes," Artemis sighed, straining for a different subject, "well, Holly, I am desperate to see more of Haven - I imagine I'll be here for quite some time, and I cannot allow myself to remain an invalid for too long." He winced, however, when he realized that his sentence finished on a number that was certainly not a multiple of five. 

Holly seemed to sense his discomfort. "Just, please, rest," she implored, her eyes wide and earnest. "Alright, Arty? Promise me. You - you really freaked me out there, for a while. I don't want to see that happen again." 

Artemis felt suddenly ashamed. "I am truly sorry, Holly," he swallowed over the lump that had quickly formed in his throat - most unlike himself. "I made you believe I didn't trust you, when nothing could be further from the truth. I lied to you, manipulated you, I - well, I made quite an ass of myself for you, if I remember Orion's antics correctly. Truly-"

But Holly waved her hands, dismissing his speech. "Please, Arty, not now. I'm fine, don't worry. Focus on getting better. Concentrate on coming back to us."

Holly ran a hand through her new haircut, which was now slightly disheveled after the previous week's ordeals. 

"I never complimented you," Artemis said suddenly. "Your haircut. It suits you."

He was speaking in sentence fragments - he supposed it was to be expected after the long hours of arduous treatment he was enduring.

But he did not expect to raise his hand and slowly reach out towards his friend, carefully brushing back strands of hair that had fallen in front of her pointed ear. 

She shivered slightly when his fingers brushed the tip. 

"Sorry," she whispered. "Elfin ears. Sensitive."

And he certainly did not expect to find himself stretching forward from his bed to draw close to her, as if she was a magnet and he a hopeless piece of metal being yanked towards her. 

But Holly pulled away, inhaling sharply. 

Artemis was left frozen, leaning forward, and he closed his eyes ruefully as Holly vacated her chair. 

"My apologies," he murmured, without meeting her gaze. "That - that must have been Orion slipping through."

Holly had her back to him, her arms wrapped tight around her torso. 

"Artemis," she said, without turning, "Artemis, you're ill, you're not thinking properly. You're in a lot of pain-"

"No more than usual," Artemis said, giving her a sideways glance. 

Holly's stance relaxed somewhat. "No, I suppose not," she admitted with half a laugh. Then she turned to face him. "But it is different, Artemis."

Artemis sighed heavily, not bothering to hide his furrowed brow from her. "I know," he admitted. "I wish it wasn't." 

"I know."

Artemis began to feel the pull of the powerful sedatives coating his veins, urging him to slip into a heavy, dreamless sleep. But he fought against it, though the fluttering of his eyelids betrayed him. 

"Artemis, I should go, alright?" Holly said as she noticed his fatigue. "You need to sleep-"

"No," he protested, suddenly vehemently opposed to being alone in this room. "No, please, would you stay? Until- until Butler returns, that is?" 

Holly took in the sight of her friend swaying with exhaustion once again, and let out a long sigh. "Of course, Arty," she conceded, trying to not notice the relief that spread across the young man's features. "Until Butler comes back." 

"Thank-you, Holly," Artemis murmured, closing his eyes. 

"Hey, lie properly," Holly gave his shoulder a gentle shove so that the human would actually lie back onto the bed. "I won't have Argon complaining I'm messing with his precious patient."

Artemis nodded without opening his eyes - the sedatives were doing their job well. 

The hum of the various medical machines filled Holly's ears, soon joined by Artemis's even breathing. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest until she heard the echoing footsteps in Argon's hall that signaled Butler's approach - the big human couldn't help the noise he made down here. 

Holly gathered herself and stood out of her chair, moving closer to lean over her sleeping friend. 

"Sleep well, Arty," she said, and kissed him lightly on the forehead before she lost her nerve. 

She left the room without a backward glance.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


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